Year of call: 2009
Laura’s practice encompasses employment, sports, business and property law.
Laura appears in employment tribunals throughout the UK for both Claimants and Respondents including British Airways, John Lewis PLC, Tesco, ASDA, Unite the Union, USDAW, various public healthcare employers including Ambulance Service Trusts and Hospital Trusts and professional bodies such as the BMA.
Additionally, Laura undertakes commercial employment work including issues of breach of confidentiality, restrictive covenants, inducement, conspiracy and conversion. She also deals with overlapping TUPE and insolvency matters.
Laura has experience in a wide range of other commercial work including insolvency proceedings, partnership disputes, contractual disputes and consequent enforcement proceedings including charging orders and orders for sale
Laura’s sports law practice has involved her advising and representing parties on matters such as club to club bonus contractual disputes, contested boxing promotional rights and FA Agents Regulations.
Laura provides regular CPD training and has had articles published in the Financial Times, Personnel Today, People Management Magazine and the Manchester Evening News. She has recorded a podcast for CPDCast entitled ‘A Practical Introduction to Employment Law’.
Significant Reported Cases
Ward Brothers (Malton) Ltd v Middleton and Others (2013) UKEAT/0249/13/RN, [2014] All ER (D) 140 (Mar)
Laura has experience in a wide range of other commercial work including insolvency proceedings, partnership disputes, challenges to business rates, contractual disputes and consequent enforcement proceedings including charging orders and orders for sale.
Laura has a particular interest and experience in the overlapping areas of TUPE and insolvency proceedings.
She is experienced in civil court litigation and is able to deal with applications and other instructions on an urgent basis. Laura provides a pragmatic and commercial approach to proceedings. Her employment law practice has allowed her to gain significant experience in trial advocacy.
Laura regularly appears in tribunals throughout the UK, presenting cases ranging from preliminary hearings to multi-day final hearings. Her practice encompasses all aspects of employment law, including commercial disputes. She has a strong record in gaining orders for costs in favour of Respondents.
Her particular interests include pregnancy discrimination, TUPE and disability discrimination arising from alleged mental impairments.
Laura’s commercial employment practice has included dealing with interim injunctions and subsequent proceedings arising from allegations of breach of restrictive covenants, inducement to breach of contract, conspiracy and conversion. Additionally, she deals with other civil employment matters including stress claims, COT3 enforcement proceedings and defending allegations of discrimination against education providers and leaseholders.
Ward Brothers (Malton) Ltd v Middleton and Others (2013) UKEAT/0249/13/RN, [2014] All ER (D) 140 (Mar)
Laura’s sports law practice has involved her advising and representing parties on matters such as:
Laura has also assisted in presenting a Women in Sports event on behalf of Women in the Law and Business UK.
‘Laura is very down to earth and personable. She is bright and easy to deal with, clearly knowledgeable, articulate and straightforward.’ Legal 500 2023
Laura is a fantastic, no-nonsense barrister. She gets the bottom of issues quickly, is strategically astute and is brilliant at putting clients at ease.’ Legal 500 2023
“She’s very sharp, gets to the heart of the issues quickly and instils great confidence in clients and witnesses.” “She gives very good advice and is very clear on the case. She produces robust counsel and very good advocacy too.” Chambers UK 2022
“A real professional with an exceptional intellect.” Legal 500 2022
“Excellent with clients. She gets on with witnesses and puts them at ease. She is very knowledgeable and practical.” “She is strong junior, who has a really good grasp of the law. She has a commanding presence in court.” Chambers UK 2021
“A highly intelligent and forceful advocate who is very knowledgeable in all things NHS.” “She has a particularly commercial approach, which is refreshing. She also takes the time to provide valuable details of the proceedings after the event.” Chambers UK 2021
“Laura is approachable and well-liked by clients. She has a practical and common-sense approach to issues but that is supported by an ability and confidence which belies her years.” Legal 500 2021
“Builds instant rapport with clients.” Legal 500 2021
“Laura is thoughtful and clients find her easy to engage with. She is quick to grasp the issues and has a down-to-earth approach. She is robust and very willing to fight a client’s cause.” “Very good at getting to the crux of a case quickly and identifying the key issues. She builds an instant rapport with clients, bringing an air of calm in even the most complex of cases. She presents the client’s case in tribunal passionately and very effectively.” Chambers UK 2020
Chambers and Partners, Employment Bar Northern, recommended as Up and Coming:
“She is very good at getting to the crux of a matter quickly and she brings an air of calm to even the most complex of cases.”
‘She brings an air of calm to the most complex of cases.’
“She is very good at getting to the crux of the case quickly and building an instant rapport with clients and instilling confidence.”
“Her technical knowledge of the difficult levels of employment law is exceptional; she’s always thoroughly prepared, she’s personable and good with clients.
“Laura represents clients’ interests well, manages client expectations with a keen eye for detail.” Lisa Joyce, DTM Legal
“When it finally went to court you arranged for a barrister to defend me and she was perfect for me as she was so professional and down to earth” Feedback from an employment lay client sent to Laura’s Instructing Solicitor.
